General election 2017: Time for May to meet her party critics ‘head on’

Media captionTheresa May: “[It’s] a cabinet that reflects the wealth of talent and experience across the Conservative Party”.

A meeting of the Conservative Party’s influential backbench 1922 committee – in effect all Conservative backbenchers – has been brought forward by 24 hours to 17:00 BST on Monday.

This not because of panic, but possibly as a way of suppressing it. As one MP put it: “The wise heads will need to tell any hotheads to calm down.”

The prime minister will meet her internal critics head on. Having phoned over the weekend candidates who were defeated in an election she didn’t need to call, she will find that many of those who escaped that fate are cross.

Instead, there will be demands for her to consult more, including meeting regularly with the 1922 executive, and to turn Downing Street from a bunker into an open house by broadening her range of staff.

However, few MPs expect her position to be strong and stable for the next five years.

One senior backbencher told me: “It is inconceivable she will lead the party into the next election. Her authority has been diminished unquestionably.”

Another said: “Party members have been too bruised by her.”

‘Bought herself time’

“She has bought herself some time”, said a senior backbencher, but added: “How she behaves will determine how long she’s there.”

There is a feeling that the party is holding on to nurse for fear of something worse.

“We didn’t dodge a bullet but were winged,” said one. “If Labour had a more credible leader we could have been in even bigger difficulties.”

Brexit means Brexit?

There has been speculation that there may now be a “softer Brexit”, partly because of an influx of Scottish MPs who favour close trading relationships with the EU, but also because of the elevation of Damian Green to First Secretary of State.

He is a friend of Mrs May’s, a Remainer in the referendum campaign, and he has warned that concessions may have to be made in negotiations.

But some senior Tories have told me that they will urge her to stick to her manifesto commitments on Brexit and, for them, controls on immigration and coming out of the single market are “bottom lines”.